The Azores

The Azores archipelago, with its dramatic volcanic landscape, is an ideal outdoor activity destination. Suitable for all age groups, the islands have it all - history, old villages, beautiful lake filled craters, stunning views and great food and wine. In our latest blog, Yasmin details the highlights from her visit to the archipelago.

General feel of the area

The Azores archipelago, with its dramatic volcanic landscape, is an ideal outdoor activity destination.  Suitable for all age groups, the islands have it all - history, old villages, beautiful lake filled craters, stunning views and great food and wine.  Spring to early autumn is the most popular time to visit, especially for outdoor activities.  Winter, due to the Azores not being as southern as other well known islands, does not hit high temperatures and is as such often overlooked, but with a milder temperature (average between 13-16 degrees) than the UK, is an ideal time to visit if you want to avoid the summer crowds.  Life in the Azores is enjoyed at a more relaxed pace than other places in Europe and to truly appreciate the Azores just simply embrace its way of life.

Favourite property

Being a fan of Art Deco style, I love the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, especially its original wing. Having undergone recent renovations the hotel is well placed to explore the island of Sao Miguel, to partake in outdoor activities by Furnas Lake or simply relax in the world famous botanical gardens to which guests staying at the hotel have privileged access. 

Favourite viewpoint

The view from the top of the crater overlooking the Sete Cidades!  For something a bit different, book a jeep tour which will take you high above the two lakes, around the rim of the crater within which Sete Cidades sits, and stop at the ridge viewpoint (opposite the Vista do Rei viewpoint) that you will come across along the way.

Favourite activity

The Faial da Terra – Salto do Prego walk. This walk can be done as a circular route, either start by heading up towards the small village of Sanguinho (once abandoned and currently being restored) or follow the route along the stream. The hike, although only 4km, is a popular one with walkers visiting the Azores and its difficulty rating is classified as medium with an average time of 2 hours to complete.  There is a lot of uphill walking involved, along uneven terrain, occasionally crossing a stream or two, but worth it to enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by nature, hidden away, with the Salto do Prego waterfall as your backdrop.

Favourite beach

This would be Santa Barbara Beach on the north coast of Sao Miguel, in Ribeira Grande.  Popular with surfers, this volcanic sand beach has a rugged feel about it and is a short walk from the grounds of the Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort.

Favourite meal

When in the Azores I tend to opt more for sea based dishes and my favourite meal was on the island of Sao Miguel, in Ponta Delgada.  There are many restaurants in the capital to suit all palates and all budgets but on this occasion I enjoyed grilled swordfish served with a side portion of mash potato on green vegetables.  Starter was the customary bread and Azorean butter that you will find throughout the archipelago and a nice Vinho Verde wine from the north of Portugal.

Highlight of the trip

During my trip I re-visited the Antonio Borges Botanical Garden in Ponta Delgada (Sao Miguel). Covering just 2.5 hectares of land it is small in comparison to the Terra Nostra Botanical Garden in Furnas (which has 12 hectares) but I fell in love with the park on one of my first visits to the Azores over 9 years ago.  Northwest of the city, with free entry, this is a place where you can relax and explore – it is filled with beautiful specimens from around the world, grottoes, ponds, a café and also has a children’s play area. For me though, the parks most impressive feature is its enormous Indian Rubber Tree whose spectacular roots will have you mesmerized.